Automatic injector control for locomotives.



W. ELMER.

AUTOMATIC INJECTOR CONTROL FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. I915- Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

WILLIAM ELMER, or BUFFALO, ivnw ronx.

AUTOMATIC INJECTOR CONTROL FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

IPatented Jan. is, 1917.

Application filed October 29, 19 15. Serial No. 58,590.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM ELMER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city ofwBuifalo, county of Erie, State of New York, have invented a certain new and'useful Improvement in AutomaticInjector Controls for Locomotives, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

' My present invention relates to railroad locomotives and has for its object to provide simple and efiective means for automatically limiting the maximum accumulation of water in the steam and water space of the boiler. The presence of an excess amount of water in the boiler means in practice, that the steam passing into the steam pipe of the locomotive is unduly wet which is objectionable for various reasons. In many cases wet steam tends to cause cylinder troubles; It also causes a spray discharge from the 10- comotive especially objectionable in the case of passenger locomotives, and in the case of a locomotive equipped with super-heating provisions, excess moisture in the steam to be super-heated substantially reduces the effectiveness of the super-heating provisions. In carrying out my invention I utilize the ordinary jet injector as the boiler feed device and automatically limit the amount of water which can be thereby supplied to the boiler by the simple expedient of providing the injector with a steam supply pipe having its inlet open to the steam and water space of the boiler at the maximum desired height of water level therein. 'When the water in the boiler rises to this level, the water seals the steam supply pipe of the injector and renders the injector inoperative. At lower water levels the injector is under the manualcontrol of the engine attendants exactly as it would be if the locomotive were not provided with the present improvement. Preferably the injector steam supply pipe inlet is located approximately midway between the front and rear ends of the water space, and approximately midway between the sides of the water space sothat ordinary rocking movements of the locomotive will not interfere with the normal operation of the injector control. Advantageo-usly, however, the inlet may be located a little in front of a point midway between the front and rear ends of the water space so that when the locomotive is ascending a long grade it is possible to accumulate more than the three level gages of waterin the locomotive thus insuring protection to the crown sheet of the ,U

locomotive in case the locomotive immediately runs onto a down grade track section as 1t frequently does.

The various features of novelty which characterize'my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claimsannexed to and forming a part of this specification. F or a better understanding of the invention,

however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Of the drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal elevation partly in section, of a locomotive embodying my present invention; and Fig. 2 tea partial transverse section of the locomotive.

In the drawings: A represents the locomotive boiler; A the usual steam dome thereof; A the front tube sheet, and A the crown sheet of the locomotive.

B representsthe usual upper, lower and intermediate gage cooks for determining the height of water level in the boiler.

C represents the usual manually controlled boiler feeding injector, and C the water supply pipe thereto, C the delivery pipe through which water is discharged into the steam and water space of the boiler, and C the usual waste pipe connection to the injector. The injector, when used in accordance with the present invention, is supplied with steam through the pipe D formed with bell mouthed inlet D which opens to the steam and. water space of the boiler at the maximum height of water level desired which will ordinarily be that of the upper.

gage cock B. Y 7 V Advantageously as shown, the inlet D is slightly in advance of a point midway 7 between the rear end of the steam and water sides of the boiler.

As shown, the pipe D connects to the injector G through the usual pipe D running from the steam inlet of the injector to the locomotive turret. A shut ofi valve D in the pipe D between the turret and the point of connection of the pipes D and 'D and a shut off valve D in the pipe D make it possible to supply the injector with steam drawn from the locomotive boiler through the pipe D in accordance with the present invention, or to supply the injector with steam taken from the locomotive boiler through the turret when this may be desiradditional water to the boiler and that with lower water levels, the injector is within the manual control of the locomotive attendants just as it would be if the usual connection from the injector to the steam space of the locomotivewere made.

The improvement described provides an eiiective, absolutely reliable automatic control of the height of water level in the boiler which does not add in any way to the duties or cares of the locomotive attendants.

Having now described myinvention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a locomotive boiler the combination with a manually controlled jet injector for supplying the boiler with feed water, of a steam supply pipe for said injector having its inlet open to the steam and water space of the boiler at the maximum desired height of water level therein.

. 2. In a locomotive boiler the combination with a manually controlled jet injector for supplying the boiler with feed water, of a steam supply pipe for said injector having its inlet open to the steam and water space of the boiler at the maximum desired height of Water level therein and approximately midway between the sides of the boiler and approximately midway between the front and rearends of the steam and Water space of the locomotive.

3. In a locomotive boiler the combination with a manually controlled jet injector for supplying the boiler with feed water, of a steam supply pipe for said injector having its inlet open to the steam and Water space of the boiler at the maximum desired height of water level therein and approximately midway between the sides of the boiler and slightly in advance of a point midway between the front and rear ends of the steam and water space of the locomotive.

WILLIAM ELMER.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing the Commissioner of latentl, Washington, I). 0. 

